INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man has been sentenced to federal prison after he pled guilty to drug dealing charges filed against him while he was out on bond for state dealing charges.
Jimmie Ray Harris, a 42-year-old Indianapolis man, was sentenced this week to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. The charge was initially filed against Harris after police found guns and drugs throughout his house while he was out of jail on bond for a state dealing charge.
According to US District Attorney Zach Myers, FBI agents arrested Harris in September 2021 after he allegedly led Indianapolis Metro police officers on a chase.
“During the chase, Harris threw 907.18 grams of cocaine, 28 grams of methamphetamine and 28 grams of heroin from his vehicle,” the District DA said in a release Friday. “Harris also had $22,147.50 in cash on his person and in his vehicle at the time of arrest.”
Harris was subsequently booked into Marion County Jail and preliminarily charged with three felonies: dealing in cocaine, dealing in methamphetamine and dealing a narcotic drug.
While in jail, officials said Harris made a phone call to another person and discussed the drugs and guns remaining in his home as well as “cleaning up” the residence. The phone call, DA Myers said, further incriminated Harris.
“Harris asked about customers coming to the house to pay drug debts, and directed the other person to keep track of who owes him money for drugs,” a news release reads. “Harris told [them] not to worry about the police because he gave them the wrong address.”
Two days after his arrest, on Sept. 10, 2021, Harris posted an $80,000 surety bond and was released.
Three days after this, on Sept. 13, 2021, IMPD officers obtained a search warrant for the home Harris had discussed on the phone. The home was near the corner of Camden Street and Prague Avenue, according to an IMPD Facebook post.
During the search, IMPD said officers found nearly five pounds of meth hidden throughout the house. Court records show meth was hidden in various places, including:
- on top of the dryer in the laundry room,
- in a desk drawer,
- in a DeWalt floor vacuum,
- in a DeWalt bag,
- in a bedroom closet, and
- inside of a purse.
DA Myers said IMPD also found a glass meth pipe with burn marks, a loaded 9mm magazine and $13,909 cash inside the home. Furthermore, a “young child” was living with Harris.
Photos of some the things recovered by IMPD, including guns stored in a freezer and meth bags stored in a closet, can be seen below:
According to police, Harris later admitted he possessed the meth in his home with the intent to distribute it to others.
“This defendant was determined to keep making money pushing poison into our neighborhoods even while he was in jail for dealing drugs,” said US District Attorney Myers. “The serious federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that there are serious consequences for fueling the devastation that deadly drugs cause in our communities.”
In addition to the 14-year prison sentence, US District Court Judge Matthew P. Brookman also ordered that Harris be supervised by the US Probation Office for five years following his release.
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